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Barbara Falconer Newhall

Veteran journalist Barbara Falconer Newhall riffs on life as she knows it.

  • A CASE OF THE HUMAN CONDITION
  • MY EVER-CHANGING FAMILY
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jon

Was I a Tradwife in the 1980s? Or a Liberated Woman in Progress?

April 26, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Was I a tradwife? family-of-four

Was I a tradwife back in the 1980s?  Or was I a second-wave feminist still figuring out how to make the marriage-family-career thing work?  Read more.

Five Years Ago This Month — Covid Shut Down Our World

March 8, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

five years ago this month covid

Five years ago this month covid shut down our world. There wasn’t much to do, so I wrote a lot of covid stories, some sad and some, I like to think, amusing.  Read more.

Widowed: He’s Gone. And Now So Is His Barbecue

March 1, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

widowed he's gone and now so is his barbecue-utensils

I’m widowed. He’s gone, and now so is his barbecue. They are just things, I tell myself. They aren’t Jon. And decluttering is a good thing. The kids like it when I get rid of stuff.  Read more.

Widowed: My Husband’s Stuff Is Still Here. I’ve Got My Reasons

January 11, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

widowed my husbands stuff obsolete-tech-books

Marriage is mostly about presence, about being there. Jon’s not here anymore. But his belongings are.  Read more.

My Little Old Lady Christmas Tree — Showing It Who’s Boss

December 7, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

my little old lady Christmas tree

It’s time to buy myself another little old lady Christmas tree, haul it into the house and stand it on the coffee table — creaky knees and knuckles, notwithstanding.  Read more.

Widowed: Some Thoughts Before Election Day — From Jon

November 2, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

thoughts before election day jon-newhall-with-american-flag

Thoughts before election day: My husband’s 2010 opinion piece on the Pledge of Allegiance assumed a social trust that’s since gone missing in America.  Read more.

Three Photos That Bring My Husband Back to Life. And One That Doesn’t

September 21, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

photos that bring my husband back to life huband-now-deceased--waiting-in-airport

Now and then I come across a photo that brings my husband back to life, and for one sweet moment, Jon is there in all his ineffable Jon-ness.  Read more.

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ON THE FUNNY SIDE

My Ancestral Ghosts — Are They Haunting This Halloween House in Minnesota?

Are my ancestral ghosts haunting this Red Wing house decorated for Halloween. Barbara Falconer Newhall traveled to Red Wing, MN, to look for her 3x great-grandmother's houses. This house, a duplex, built in 1920, stands at the location on Third St. where her ancestor lived. Photos by Barbara Newhall

Could my ancestral ghosts be haunting this Halloween house in Red Wing, Minnesota? I wanted to think so. Read more.

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TO MY READERS

Please feel free to share links to my posts with one and all and to quote briefly from them in your own writing, remembering, of course, to attribute the quote to me and to provide a link back to this site.

My Oakland Tribune columns, btw, are reprinted by permission of the Trib. With the exception of review copies of books, I do not accept ads or freebies of any kind. Click on the "Contact" button if you have questions. Enjoy!

 

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man-asleep

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Breaking News: The Afterlife Is ‘Fantastic’

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Jon Was a Sports Fan. Am I?

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